Housed in the historic Normanby
Chambers building, Chancery Lane
is a French-inspired bistro with a twist.
The fit-out echoes a decadent bygone
era, while the fare sees Pickett flex
his French technique in a list of classic
dishes with modern flair.
SYDNEY + NSW
Restaurateur Tonci Farac has never
been one to do things by halves. The
former Wildfire owner is the driving force
behind Sydney’s grandest new dining
room, Italian fine-diner Seta on Barrack
St in the CBD. The custom fitout cost
more than $5 million and the result is
high-wattage glamour. Phase one is
open now with a crudo bar and private
lounge set to follow.
Bondi has welcomed Calita, a light and
bright, pint-sized dining room devoted to
seafood. It comes from the folks behind
nearby Carbon and Taqiza, so you can
expect well-made spicy Margaritas,
alongside blue swimmer crab tostadas,
market fish ceviche and crunchy school
prawn tacos.
On the South Coast, The Growers is
the new sprawling venue from the team
behind Acre eateries and The Greens.
Much like their other venues, they’ll be
offering family-friendly fare, seafood
from the region and locally inspired
craft brews and cocktails.
NATURALLY NOBU
Globe-spanning hospitality juggernaut Nobu has become equally
synonymous with its excellent sushi, as it has its slick interiors.
With 32 restaurants (plus hotels) around the world, including
hotspots in Miami, London and Tokyo, Nobuyuki “Nobu”
Matsuhisa’s eponymous Japanese restaurant has finally arrived
in Sydney. Severine Tatangelo, pictured above, and her California-
based design firm Studio PCH are responsible for the interiors,
challenged with the task of creating a restaurant space that
reflects each different location while also working cohesively
with the brand and its signature Japanese aesthetic. It’s a job
she’s familiar with, designing interiors for Nobu since 2006.
When it came to designing Sydney’s Nobu, Tatangelo and
her team wanted to imbue a strong sense of place. “Whenever
we start working on a project, the first step is to get a feel for the
local habits. You don’t want to repeat the same design,” she says.
Working with the space’s grand ceiling height and inspired by the
proximity to the Harbour and the relaxed style of Sydneysiders,
the Studio PCH team began renders, working on the process
from September 2018 through to completion. “We really wanted
to create a connection and continuity between the restaurant and
the water,” says Tatangelo. “We also based [the layout] on the
culture of Sydney. People hang out – so the bar is a centrepiece.”
The team also used this height and space to create a sense of
ceremony for each guest’s arrival. “When you’re going to Nobu,
you want to create something special, and it’s a celebration. We
want to enhance this experience.”
While traditional Japanese interior aesthetics often focus
on simplicity, this balancing act between subtlety and grandeur
is one of the trickiest parts of nailing the Nobu brief. “Simplicity
isn’t easy. Especially when you’re designing restaurants – you
don’t want to be austere and feel like a church – it’s a restaurant,
you want a mood, and to make it energetic.”
To this end you’ll find shapes influenced by Japanese origami,
a wooden slat-encased omakase bar and three private dining
rooms. “When you arrive at your table, you will already have all
your emotions enhanced by the space. Visually and physically.
It’s our job to create this journey throughout the space, before
you even get to your table.”
Crown Sydney, Barangaroo, Sydney, NSW, noburestaurants.comGOURMET TRAVELLER 13News